Dialogue on Buddhist and other influences on Bhutan’s sustainable development philosophy
The Center for Contemporary Buddhist Studies (CCBS) hosted a virtual session with Dasho Paljor J. Dorji, a Special Advisor to the National Environment Commission of Bhutan. The session, which took place as a dialogue, was hosted by Miguel Álvarez Ortega, an Associate Professor of Buddhism and Law at the University of Kyoto and the University of Seville. The session titled ‘Gross National Happiness: The Development Philosophy of a Buddhist Monarch’ was held on 20 March 2025, a day which is marked as the International Day of Happiness. In adopting this day in 2012, the United Nations General Assembly recognized happiness as a goal to promote a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples. Bhutan initiated the resolution adopting this day.
Dasho Paljor Dorji, fondly known as Dasho Benji, said that the fourth king of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, believed in sustainable and inclusive development that balanced economic prosperity with environmental protection and cultural preservation. Dasho Benji believes that it was the influence of the country’s Buddhist heritage and his frugal upbringing that made the king deeply concerned about the welfare of his people and environment. Bhutan in the 1970s faced one of the poorest living conditions with limited modern infrastructure. He thinks that by living ascetically in a log cabin all his life, the king used state resources judiciously to uplift his people while asserting minimal environmental impact.
Asked what specific steps the country took to legislate its culturally specific economic and environmental policies, Dasho Benji said that the king believed in the value of democracy. The country adopted a written constitution in 2008 that turned it into a multiparty constitutional democracy. The constitution adopted happiness as a founding state principle and required the preservation of 60% of the country under forest cover for all times to come. Dasho Benji believes that, as indicated by the International Day of Happiness, Bhutan’s Buddhist-inspired policies of moderated and mindful development are now being seen globally as a viable way to resolve future developmental and climatic challenges.
This session was a part of the CCBS’s ongoing effort to seek dialogue and collaboration between scholars and actors from the government, industry and community in order to deepen understanding of Buddhist principles and practices that influence people’s collective actions.